American make-up artist Gucci Westman has quite the legacy: she’s been behind countless fashion magazine covers, catwalk trends, and celebrity looks. Her clientele includes Hollywood heavyweights Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Reese Witherspoon and Cameron Diaz – all synonymous with Westman’s signature of sophisticated skin and understated, natural glamour. Needless to say, you will have seen her work even if you may not have seen her (though you might remember Westman’s cameo role in the 2008 Sex and the City film).

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What’s the story?

Having previously played artistic director for Lancôme and Revlon, Westman has harnessed her vast experience into the creation of her own make-up line. Westman Atelier, which launched at Net-a-Porter this week, is an extension of her holistic lifestyle and upbringing (Westman spent her first few years at an ashram where she was given the name ‘Gurucharan’, shortened to Gucci, her now legal name).

“It was always very clear to me that if I ever had my own line of products, I would want to do something that was as natural and as consciously-crafted as possible,” she tells Bazaar. “I’m so aware of what I eat – I grew up vegetarian with a hyper-awareness of wellness, so I guess just having that kind of philosophy in regard to how I live, plus working as a make-up artist, it felt right to me that products should be about ‘wellness’ too”.

Note: wellness is not a trend to Westman, and neither is ‘clean’ – although her line is a virtuous example of what has now become an industry-wide marketing term.

“‘Clean beauty’ is more of a mindset than anything else,” she says, “people who are conscious of what they eat, ingredients in their products, it’s an extension of a lifestyle that makes you feel and inevitably look better.” Naturally, she’s on the same page as her client and confidante Paltrow on this.

“I feel that we deserve more from our products, performance and clean ingredients need to be more of a norm.”

But the Westman Atelier cosmetics aren’t what one typically expects from a natural brand. They merge exceptional performance and a luxury aesthetic with efficacious active ingredients, making them genuinely good for the skin.

“The active ingredients are at functioning levels, not marketing levels,” she tells us, referring to other products that often include ingredients in token amounts that can’t make a difference to the skin. “They really work on calming and soothing,” Westman explains, which was important to her as a rosacea sufferer.

Where should we start?

The streamlined make-up collection is simple. Currently, it’s an edit of complexion products including stick versions of foundation (in 13 shades, with hopefully more to come), blush (three shades), highlighter and contour, plus a powder highlighter and bronzer, and three handcrafted brushes with soft synthetic (and therefore cruelty-free) bristles.

To recreate her ‘second-skin’ approach to your base, enter the brand with the Vital Skin Foundation Stick and Super Loaded Tinted Highlight powder. “Both are so intuitive and easy to use,” she tells us, “the molten textures are lightweight and moisturising and have exceptional staying power”.

The highlighter is loaded with hyaluronic acid filling spheres, said to smooth and plump skin, while the ultra-creamy foundation is made with vegetable-derived squalane, phytosphingosine and berryflux vita. “In terms of ingredients, it’s a true skincare formulation, an anti-redness correctional product,” she says revealing her own skin is “better when I wear it”.

Quality inside and out, we also love Westman Atelier for its ultra-chic, magnetic closure packaging, that feels as satisfying to use as it looks.